Bandit's Sickly Scales
by Traveller Krysen
Summary: Allen and Lavi are mythical creatures set on destroying the world!... just kidding, instead they are just searching for a thief who stole from Cross and come across something much stranger.
1. Chapter 1

First of all, this is a story I had posted before but edited. All reviews are appreciated, and hope you enjoy!

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What if I told you that mermaids were real? You wouldn't believe me because I have no proof. And there may never be one to tell that it is so.

We won't know for sure until we find real evidence and that's just how we are, but our world would be very boring without the many things we think up with our imagination don't you think?.

Well I have a story that you may consider boring since stories similar have been told for many centuries, but I feel you should hear it at least once before you have to go home tomorrow… You'll listen? Well then, I wonder how I should start…

Far under the ocean, a great commotion was stirring on the ocean floor. Men in armor swam around the many houses carved into the coral, asking whether the owners had seen anyone suspicious.

Someone had come into the King's home and stole a very important piece, and no one had seen a child with a dark blue tail and white fins; They had no idea where this bandit went.

Back in the coral palace, the king searched through every nook and cranny for his lost when urged fiercely by his adviser. But he knew it was stolen, he saw that person, and he did not "accidentally" drink one of his healthier- and down-right expensive- wines. He just was just so tempted to find that person himself and skin them alive.

Right behind the seething red-head, was his apprentice and his one- eyed friend.

"Master! Get over it, you can always get another and it's not like you pay for them anyway." The white haired merboy said, crossing his arms in disgust. Even if his master was right and someone did take it, better in their hands than Cross's.

Cross turned around and looked evilly at the boy, "Stupid Apprentice, "He started, "You can't understand the imp-"

A soldier swam in, slamming the doors behind him and began speaking quickly so he wouldn't upset his king any further, "We could not find your bandit or your wine sir!" he said, cringing when he felt his king get closer; He knew that punishment was close.

'please save me, my prince' the soldier begged in his head, nearly passing out with joy when the blow aimed at his head was blocked.

"Master! Stop!" The White- haired boy said, motioning for the man to leave swiftly.

The man bowed and left, whispering, "Thank you, Prince Allen". Allen only nodded before looking back at his master.

Cross pulled his hand away and walked to his window, waving his hand at the two boys before yelling, "Get OUT!"

They left, swimming back to the kitchen as they talked about the day's events.

"Hey Lavi, do you think that Cross was right about the person… Truthfully, I thought he was just trying to get a reason to get more wine and make it look like he doesn't drink as much as he does." Allen asked.

Lavi shook his head as they sat down, "Don't know, though I've never heard of Merfolk with fins all the way up the back." he said sitting down at the long table.

The two ordered their food, slurping it down as they both mentally agreed on the same thing; They should search for this thief.

They waited until nightfall before they snuck out of their rooms and out through the village. Lavi had a long sword with a small hammer on the handle and Allen was wearing a long sleeve shirt with a small blade underneath, not that they were sure they needed such precautions.

When they reached the village square they began to think up a plan since the merperson was not found in the village and though they did not really want to, they would head out beyond their home.

The swim was long and they took up most of the might searching every crevice to come up with nothing. Though they had not expected anything more;

They began to head home when Lavi spun around, hitting Allen in the chest, and yelling "I saw a white fin! Come on Allen, maybe it's them!" Lavi pulled Allen and they raced after the tail.

The fin took them around rocks and through schools of fish that just began to come out of their hiding places as they were taken further and further away from their home.

Not long after they could see the sun peaking over the water, they lost their point of interest through a hole by a shore. They did not dare enter since anything could be on the other side, but it did not stop them from waiting right below it.

"Hey Allen, looks like Cross was right, but how are we gonna get them now?" Lavi said, lying on a rock, " I mean, we can change our fins into those weird limbs, so they probably can too."

Allen nodded, frowning. He did not want to go home yet, not when they were so close. Though Cross would get mad if he found them gone or if they got caught in the hole. "Let's go home for now, and try going through tonight when it's dark" .

So the two boys left, unaware of the eyes watching them go from the hole before disappearing behind a dark blue tail.

Allen and Lavi were sitting in Cross's room, listening to that very man interrogating them on where they were.

"So, are you going to tell me the truth?" Cross said menacingly, but the two were undisturbed.

Allen was staring back with fire in his eyes and Lavi was looking at a book he had with him, "We told you," Allen began, sitting back bored, "We found a girl who's uninterested in Lavi". Allen knew that Lavi did not like the story they had made up, but it was better then them telling the truth and the person end up being the wrong white fin.

Cross looked at them suspiciously, but they did not crack; so he let them be on their way.

Outside of the palace, Allen took time to breath before he was hit in the back of the head by Lavi. "Why couldn't you think of a different lie? You do know that Cross will not let me live that down, right?"

Allen nodded, apologizing before they went around the village waiting for the moment they would leave again.

The person had a whole ocean to hide in. And even, possibly, the land above.

(Nightfall)

Allen was getting ready in his room when Lavi swam in and sat on his bed, "Ready yet?" he asked teasingly. Allen gave him an unpleased look before nodding.

They raced off to that hole and looked inside, "Ready?" Allen asked, Lavi nodded. "Then I'll go first".

The two swam in halfway before they heard a loud clang behind them, signaling that their path back was gone. Lavi pushed Allen and they neared their fate waiting on the other side.

They passed back into light about five minutes later- information thanks to Lavi- and found themselves in a small body of water the humans would call a pond.

This pond was very deep and had much life swimming in it's depths; From sea to freshwater life. In the bottom were six other tunnels and at the top was a starry sky.

"This place sure is beautiful." Allen nodded at his friends statement as he saw a flash in the corner of his eyes.

Reflecting at the bottom of the water was a bottle, or to be exact, Cross's wine bottle.

"Lavi, look!" Allen said as he picked up the full wine bottle. "We found Cross's wine… but no thief."

The two looked into the holes around them before going to the surface to look around. What they saw surprised them. Instead of endless structures that the humans used for homes, there were trees and bushes and weird animals on four, thin limbs.

Lavi turned to find any sign of the ocean through the forest but soon rushed downward, pulling Allen down with him.

"What's wrong Lavi?" Allen asked, startled from Lavi jerking him.

Lavi pointed up as he allowed Allen to take them up under a small ridge. And from under, Allen could see a dark lump laying on the bank. He looked closer and saw that the lump was actually a boy around Lavi's age. He had black hair, wore black pants and a tank top, and was fast asleep.

Allen swam over and looked down at the pale boy, "He's asleep. What should we do?"

"How am I supposed to know?" Lavi asked, poking the boy's cheek.

The boy groaned, opening his eyes and pushing himself up before falling back down on his back. His eyes were closed tight and he was holding his shoulder as the two Merboys hid behind the ridge again.

The two looked on as the boy struggled to catch his breath and sit up, but he never did. Wondering why, Lavi got closer and saw that the boy had been wounded and was bleeding right into the water. He motioned to Allen and then the swirl of water and red, and Allen swam over.

They thought of the consequences before moving to the bank where their fins changed to human limbs and what the humans called 'pants'. "Hey you, kid." Allen whispered, "We can help you. Where is your home?"

The boy only shook his head as he became paler and paler.

"He's gonna die if we don't do anything,… let's take him to a cave and care for him ourselves". Lavi said, pointing to a cave he had just seen in the rock to where they entered. Allen nodded and they moved the kid into the water.

As soon as he hit the cold water, the boy shot upward into Lavi's arms. His breathing quickened and his grip became choking.

"Hey kid, you'll be… Fine!" Lavi lifted him to Allen, who was waiting at the cave's entrance.

"I can get medical supplies from home if you can take care of food" . Allen stated as he walked back to the exit. Lavi frowned worriedly before waving good luck.


	2. Chapter 2

When Allen returned, he did not expect to find Lavi lying on the cave floor with the boy holding him down with his own blade. "What did you do Lavi?"

Lavi looked at Allen pleadingly as the boy looked at him curiously. "Allen! Your back! Please help me!"

The boy's grip loosened as Allen got closer with the large clam of supplies.

"Who are you?" The boy asked, still holding the sword to Lavi's neck. He was getting weak- Lavi and Allen could tell- but the two Merboys thought it was because of the blood he had lost. "Don't come any closer- Cough, Cough- who… are you two!?" The boy yelled as Allen made to sit a few fins away.

Allen looked through his bag, finding bandages for the boy's wounds as he spoke, "I am Allen an that is Lavi. We were looking for someone that stole from us when we came across you; wounded…. Who are you and why did we find you like this?"

The boy frowned and looked outside, "Kanda." He was pushed over and held down by Lavi while he was distracted, stopping him from continuing.

"Why would someone want you dead?" Lavi asked as Allen nursed Kanda's wound. But Kanda would not answer or look at either of them.

When Allen was finished, though, Lavi smiled mischievously, "I can get the answer out of you one way or the other…. Are you ticklish?"

Kanda visibly flinched and looked up and Lavi in disbelief, " You wouldn't dare-! Don't!… pff- stop!" Kanda was trying to free his poor sides from the force about him as he kicked and struggled for air. But it would not stop, that is, until Kanda jerked and pulled at the wound on his shoulder, forcing him to cry out in pain.

Lavi pulled his hands away, getting off the boy as he rolled in on himself to protect the sensitive spot. "I'm sorry, I didn't mean to hurt you". He said, lifting Kanda to a sitting position.

Kanda sunk into Lavi's chest, waiting as the pain to slowly drifted away. "… They did it because I'm cursed".

The two sat in silence in the cave, they had just put Kanda back at the bank where they found him in hopes of his family finding him.

"They would kill their own because of a curse?" Allen asked to no one, thinking on what Kanda had said before he had passed out from the pain.

Lavi nodded, not quite listening to what Allen had said.

The two sat there for an hour before a voice was heard from the trees, "You! You-! Where are you, my child!" The voice got closer until a man with fluffy hair walked out and gasped. The man ran over to Kanda's sleeping form and sighed after putting his head to the boy's chest. "Let's get you home, you. You'll be okay, I promise!"

After the man disappeared, Allen and Lavi returned to their home with their womanizing leader's wine in tow.

(Long time later)

They had not gone to the surface in weeks, having to find suitable wives before Cross would even think to hand over his crown - Not that he would be so willing in the first place-

Allen and Lavi had found plenty of girls they liked, but none that they could live their life with.

"Give up Cross! The two are just not ready for such a step yet. Let them go explore, it never hurt before." Cross's adviser begged.

Cross had kept the two under tight control when they had left for most of the day without word. Right then, he was sitting comfortably with two mermaids, drinking wine and his adviser just had to ruin the moment… but maybe he should let the little whelps learn lessons on their own.

"I agree, adviser! Allow them to travel wherever they so desire!" Cross yelled, holding up his glass of wine.

The adviser looked on astonished after he had tried giving Cross another reason to let them go; He had not expected him to say yes. But he shook off his confusion and swam off to tell the two boys.

Man, would they be surprised!

Cross had never sided with them, so when they learned of the news they sped off only slightly worried about Cross's reasons. They just had to get out before they went insane.

Lavi swam around the rocks and Allen laid in the seaweed as they enjoyed the sun by the land where Kanda was.

Allen looked up from his spot just in time to see the all to familiar dark blue and white fin. In the light, it was lighter and more green and the fin was greener too… but he blamed it on the lighting.

Allen rushed over and grabbed the tail before it could get away, "I got you!"

"EEK! I don't know what you want, but let me go please! I didn't do anything!" The person said.

Allen looked up to find that a girl was looking down on him with panic in her eyes. She had very dark green hair in two long ponytails. He lifted himself off her and stuttered out, 'I-I-I- I'm so so-sorry, I thought you were a thief with a dark blue and white fin!"

The girl relaxed at Allen's state and even began to laugh at him, "What? What's so funny?" He asked.

The girl smiled brightly before replying, "I know someone with a Dark blue tail, but his fin only turns white at night. I'm not him of course… sorry."

Allen blushed and said, "NO, it's okay. I mean, your okay… since you know who we were looking for!"

"You sure it's not because you like this one?" Lavi said after he appeared behind Allen, scaring the fin off of him.

Lavi laughed at the look on Allen's face as he introduced them. "This stuttering fool is Allen and I am Lavi… And I wouldn't doubt it but I think he likes you."

The girl blushed before replying, "My name is Lenalee, and the person you are looking for is a really good friend of mine, though he's ill. If you want to know why he steals…. It's because of…. Someone he lives with". Lenalee had a look of sadness before she smiled again, looking like nothing bad was happening at all.

"You mean, he is being forced to steal for someone else? That means he was probably beaten for not giving it to them right?" Lavi asked, receiving a nod, "Lead us to him, we've got to help!"

Lenalee smiled before shooting off to the hole and leading them through and up to the water's surface, but before they reached the top she hit from view.

"What? Huh?" Lavi said, looking up to were a boy was standing, facing a group of men. "What are they going to do to him?"

One of the men, a fat man with a huge smile grabbed the person's cheeks and whispered something in his ear. The person nodded before falling to his knees as the men walked off.

Lenalee swam over and lifted her head out of the water, "What did they say this time?" she asked, "Oh. And I brought some friends they want to meet him".

The boy looked at Lenalee and shook his head, "I don't know- HEY! It's you two!"

Allen and Lavi surfaced to a finger pointing straight at them, "Wha-?!"

"Don't play dumb! I saw you two in the cave when Tiedoll found Kanda… You took care of him didn't you?" He said, crouching by the water's surface.

"Yes… we did help… but what did that man say to you?" Allen said back. He and Lavi popped up on the bank, soon followed by Lenalee.

The boy put his hand to his chin and sat cross-legged, "He is the Earl. Leader of Mourning; Our little village. He comes here to get things he wants and to kill those that disobey; like some farmers a few miles away that couldn't give him enough food." Allen mumbled about how awful it was, "Yes, awful, but anyway… Here he gets whatever Kanda can dish out, but most of the time Kanda just gives them the little trinkets he makes from fish scales. It satisfies the Earl's family and protects us from that awful fate".

The four sat in silence before Lavi spoke up, "What about an uprising? Don't you have allies nearby that will help?"

The boy shook his head, "Leverrier will not lift a finger for us… Not when we are not useful in his survival." Great anger was held in his eyes as the boy finished this sentence and Lenalee touched his -reachable- shoe.

"I feel it will be okay. But where is Kanda?" Lenalee asked.

"Right here." Out from the trees stepped the curly-haired man and Kanda. "I have to help out in the city before the sirens come from the south, so stop worrying so much".

The green mermaid splashed her tail angrily as the two approached, "It's dangerous for you to be out here, Kanda… Tiedoll, what are you doing? He could be shot by one of those bastards!" Lenalee stated, knocking out some of Kanda's dignity.

"He's fine as long as we're around him. Those people know our trade and will not ruin their chances on getting such skill by killing any of us". Tiedoll said nonchalantly as he sat down and began to draw.

Kanda sat down further from the water than Tiedoll. Lavi smiled and crawled over to him, "Hey you-!" He didn't get to finish… or truly begin because Kanda had a black sword pointing deathly close to his neck.

"Do NOT call me that or I will end your life here and- Cough!- now!" Kanda held his other hand to his mouth but did not lower his sword any. "And anyway, what are you -cough, cough- doing here again?"

The two boys looked at each other and Lavi grabbed the edge of the sword before speaking, "We actually came closer to the sun because we were forbidden to leave our home, when Allen found your friend here and instantly fell in love. She led us here after she told us that she knew a person with a dark blue tail and a white fin, and here we are talking to you… and I have to ask… are you this merman, Kanda? I mean you seem ill and you definitely don't live in our village… and also we found that stolen wine right below you when you had been a victim of attempted murder. So, am I right?"

Kanda looked absolutely horrified at how much Lavi had spoken and was semi curious at how he had any room for so much air all at once… but he had been asked a question and had no idea how to answer it. "… You can't force me to tell you anything, but wouldn't I have changed when you put me in the water if what you assume is true?"

Lavi shook his head, pointing at him, Lavi and Lenalee who still had tails when sitting on the bank. Kanda sighed, giving in.

"Fine… I am-!" Kanda looked behind him where Tiedoll was watching, "Take Chaoji and go".

"He's over here! Get him for the master!" Voices were sounding from the distance and they were getting closer as they sunk below, going out the tunnel to sea.

"Are those two going to be okay?" Allen asked as they swam further away. Lenalee did not answer and Chaoji just concentrated on not drowning.

They soon reached a rock and sat there for hours, waiting.

"…It will be over soon, then we can go back". Lenalee said with tears in her eyes, watching the distant shore blazing with smoke.

"What's going on, and why are we not helping? Didn't you take us there to help protect Kanda from further pain?!" Lavi asked, struggling to move back to the pond.

Lenalee smiled sadly and hugged him from behind, "I did, and I wanted to help him; But he did not want me to tell you anything, he never wants any help".

Lavi scooted over to Allen and whispered in his ear, "I'm going to go see what's happening over there, if I don't get home by tomorrow morning tell the adviser. He should be able to help".

Allen nodded as Lavi jumped into the water and swam off. He wanted to go to.

Chaoji put his hand on Allen's Shoulder and pushed him in, jumping in after him, "We're going to! Lenalee, if you could go to their place and find a way to get help if we don't come back by tomorrow morning?" She nodded and Allen looked at her.

"You know where I live?… Wait, don't answer. Just ask for the adviser and tell him about us and the thief, he should be able to help." Allen said as he pulled Chaoji under and followed after Lavi.

Back through the hole, Allen swam up and found Lavi… But he also found that the trees surrounding the pond were now cinders.

As they walked to were Kanda had came and gone from, they neared a small village where people were running with bags out of their houses. Some women and men were standing in a group with weapons, but they showed no hope in their eyes of success.

The group of three tried to ask many people what was happening, but everyone was to much in a hurry to stop for a second; That is until they found Tiedoll under some rubble.

"Leverrier is trying to find the Earl in our village. We told him that he does not live here but, he would not listen. They took anyone that was seen giving the Earl things of any sort…. (sob) They… They took my son! They took Kanda for selling them trinkets!" Tiedoll started crying a river as Lavi asked where they took Kanda, " They probably took him and a few others to their secret hideout not to far from here, I will take you there now".

Tiedoll took them up a hill and around a large mansion where a hidden door led them inside. And inside, it smelled of chemicals and bodily fluids. The four held their noses as they walked through the dull hallways, searching every door even when they couldn't open them.

After awhile they reached some stairs and passed up them. Tiedoll led them though more hallways but never found any sign of life. Except when they walked into a large room inched with leather and gold, they found Kanda chained and beaten, lying on the ground.

They ran in and Kanda saw them, "Stop! Don't come in here!" But it was to late. Right as Kanda had spoken a cage fell on them and Kanda's chain pulled him upward and out of sight.

"Kanda! My boy!" Tiedoll yelled, banging on the bars and begging to get his son back. Allen and Lavi were trying to find a doorway out and Chaoji was punching the cage by Tiedoll.

"Relax. Relax. We will not do anything more to your boy than we already have, but if he survives these first few days is entirely up to him. We just want him to tell us where the Noah are… and to make us what he's been making them." Leverrier got a little mad when he saw Tiedoll looking at him like he was stupid.

"He makes small trinkets for children, nothing more nothing less. The Noah, Road, likes them." Tiedoll said as he scratched his head, "Why would you want him to make you toys?"

Leverrier smiled and took a cage with a small doll inside. It stood up and pulled a knife from it's tiny skirt, "Mommy. Mommy…. Mummby, I will kill you, moister!" It drove the blade toward Leverrier and waved it just below his armpit before sitting back down.

The captives frowned in disgust, "We found this little killer in your child's room, and I have no idea where it got the knife." Leverrier came closer and opened the cage where one of his followers grabbed the doll and stuffed it in between the bars, "But I guess she's your problem now. I will not let the Noah get you musician, and the best way is to kill you".

The doll stood up and limped over to the captives as Tiedoll spoke, "What do you mean; Musician?" The doll got closer and Leverrier walked out. "Who's this musician? You coward!"

"Mommy…. Mommy? I will kill those who keep mommy in hostage!" It said, walking closer and sitting on Allen's lap. Allen was stiff as he watched it and the others thought.

"Looks like my boy has some strange power over these dolls… I had never noticed before. But good thing is they know who the enemy is." Tiedoll said and Lavi lifted up the small doll.

"Can you get us out of here, little one? We need to find Kanda… your maker?" Allen asked and the doll smiled at him from Lavi's hand before saying, "Your giving me permission?"


	3. Chapter 3

The four were running to keep up as the once doll raced up the stairs and to the location Kanda was. Back in the cage, the doll had transformed from the small toy to a large, metal woman-snake thing with eight arms, destroying the cage with it's tail and rushing out; all because Tiedoll said it had permission.

It destroyed doors with a grotesque smile before it turned right and through a metal door two floors above where Kanda was pulled upward. It changed back to it's doll shape with a few holes in it's side, "Mom-" The doll ran over to the lump on the bed, but was thrown back as it yelled weakly, "Leave me alone!"

A few dolls around the room stood up and walked toward the group, "I told you… I would not make -cough, cough, cough-"

Lavi ran over to Kanda and saw that he was strapped down; He used the doll's knife to cut them off before picking him up. Kanda struggled aggressively until Allen pulled off a clothe strap over his eyes, then the dolls fell to the ground and Kanda looked up at Lavi in surprise. "It's you!… Damn it… saving me again."

The little doll crawled up on his shoulder and whispered in his ear and he replied, "Yes, Road, you can stop the act; I am not your mother and you don't need me to get you… oh crap".

"Yes Kanda, my boy. I know now what your dolls are now, but why did you have Road in your room?" Tiedoll asked, and the look he gave reflected what the rest of the group had on.

"I wanted to know how he made such dolls that moved and wanted him to make this doll for me. I just couldn't leave because that man got in the house before I could. As for why I don't leave, Kanda, is because I don't want to loose my favorite doll maker and I will protect his family to keep him… and you have our musician". Road said, ditching her doll talk. "I'm not gonna force him to come with me, but he wants him safe. Now, come on… let's go stop that man in charge".

They didn't make it far before Kanda fell to his knees, holding his side where blood was seeping through. Lavi lifted him up and they moved forward, though Kanda showed that he did not like this idea of being carried. "Sorry Kanda, but we're gonna need those dolls of yours and you alive. So do not go dying on us ever, since no one here wants you too."

They got to the first floor and Kanda's doll's sped up to a door leading down further. They had been behind the whole time and though they never changed and there were just six of them, they still sent a chill down everyone's spine.

"Where are they going?" Chaoji asked, stopping at the door. Kanda had not answered before screams resonated from below, and Tiedoll ran below followed by the Merboys, and Kanda with Road, and then Chaoji.

At the bottom, there was no death, but the doll's had complete control as they jumped on heads and tied people up. This was a room were the dolls were experimented on, though Kanda swore only the six were able to do anything.

"Would they have found anything if they had gotten one of these six?" Lavi asked and received a no. "What are they then?" No answer.

Kanda motioned toward his dolls that were moving off since Lavi still hadn't put him down, "I need to follow them." Lavi and Tiedoll opened their mouth to speak, "They won't go far without me and staying behind may be more dangerous since someone asked for reinforcements above".

Gunshots and yelling were heard above, and Allen, Lavi, and Chaoji looked at each other, "It's been a whole day already?! We asked Lenalee to wait until morning".

Tiedoll sat in a chair and replied, "It was morning a few hours ago".

Kanda nodded as Lavi's grip tightened, "Che, if your gonna do that, let me rap this up so I don't bleed to death". Lavi jumped and put him down on a chair, where he pulled off his tank top and wrapped it around his waist tightly. Then Lavi picked him up again, getting a beating from Kanda.

They followed the dolls through a hall and into a dark room were they disappeared. Lavi moved forward to find them, pulling a wire with his feet and activating a wire-trapped gun. He got shot and dropped Kanda into what sounded like a pool as he fell backward.

A bright light lit up the pool before glass blocked the escape, and lights filled the room.

Allen checked on Lavi and saw he was just grazed, but Kanda was below the water and there was no air as he struggled to break the glass, "My boy! I'll break the glass, one second…" Tiedoll tried to find something as Chaoji punched the glass; unsuccessfully.

"It's impossible to break this bullet-proof glass. He will die under there and you will follow him shortly". Leverrier walked out of a balcony far up on the wall across from him, and the door behind them shut. "You have no means of survival."

Tiedoll and Lavi watched the water as Kanda beat on the glass, but he couldn't break it; even with the doll's help for they were below as well. Tiedoll held out his hand against Kanda's as he finally closed his eyes and sank down into the water, but the doll's never quit beating as some of them went to wake their maker. "I'm sorry, my boy… I'm sorry".

Tiedoll looked up at Leverrier's smile and yelled, "You will not get away with this! You will not kill my son and get away with it!" He never took his eyes off him once and his target didn't back down.

Banging was heard on the other side of the door and Allen and Chaoji yelled through it, "we're here! Can you!"

A loud clank was heard and the door's center began to bend away from them before flying away to reveal a man with ear things on and Cross ahead of four other people with dark skin, "Hello, stupid apprentice. Never expected you to be right in the middle of this problem. Where is the thief, and where is that man?"

Allen and Lavi frowned, looking into the water, but road spoke, whining to the fat man, "He killed my toymaker, drowned him in the water below the glass in this room!" The Earl walked forward with a pumpkin umbrella and hit it against the glass.

You can't break it! And it's to late to save that boy, unless you want to save his dolls!" Leverrier said, but right after he said it, cross walked up and shot it at the same time the Earl hit it and the glass shattered; but not enough for it to fall through.

"Hey, go get that boy, stupid apprentice. We will take care of things here." Cross said with a smirk as men ran out from the doorway behind Leverrier. They jumped down and at the two, carrying knives, swords and… paper.

Allen jumped into the water and three of the dolls crawled up him and stood by the water, looking down into the pool. Allen dove down and found Kanda lying on the floor with a face as pale as ice. He grabbed him and took him up to the surface where six dolls, and Lavi were waiting for them. He saw that Tiedoll and Chaoji had joined the fighting as he placed Kanda on the concrete.

The dolls jumped on Kanda's chest and touched his face before being pulled away by Lavi as Allen put his ear up to Kanda's face.

"… He's breathing!" Allen started to do CPR and Lavi looked away, preferring to play with the dolls that only looked back up at him questionably.

After a few minutes, nothing changed and Allen finally gave up, "Lavi. I don't think Kanda is going to wake up this-!" coughing soon brought Allen's eyes to below him where a doll was sitting on Kanda's chest and Kanda was awake.

"Che. I'm awake, Finder, I'm awake!" Kanda sat up slowly and looked around before his eyes went wide and a blush was on his cheeks, and Allen was hit- really hard!- "I can't believe you… did that! I… I … Che! How good of a thrower are you?"

Allen shook his hurting head and pointed at Lavi, "He's better".

Kanda pulled a small knife from his boot and gave it to him, "Think you can get Leverrier in the forehead, Usagi?"

Lavi sputtered before smiling and stood up, aiming the blade and throwing it straight into Leverrier's chin. "Well, it wasn't his forehead, but it does right?" Kanda nodded as Leverrier fell out of the balcony and into the water.

The troops, seeing the easy victory turned against him began to throw down their knives and run for their lives. And Cross, the Earl and his followers, and Tiedoll and Chaoji walked over to the three and smiled, "Looks like our guardian isn't as dead as we thought".

"What's a guardian, Uncle?" asked a little boy holding his purple tail.

Allen looked at Lavi's kid and smiled, "A guardian is just like us, but with one purpose in life; to protect their family… In fact, I think you could be a guardian to, if you tried."

The boy smiled back and laid back down into his bed, "What ever happened to Kanda… I've never met father's old crush before!"

Allen smiled sadly and answered, "Lavi did like him, but he died from an illness and blood loss a few weeks after this story ends. Those living dolls still walk around though, around the village ruins, at night, to be exact. We still don't know why they are able to move at all… and I guess we never will." He tucked the kid in and kissed his forehead, "Okay, goodnight and bother your father about it tomorrow."

"Okay!"

* * *

The END! =D


End file.
